Diabetes can lead to blindness, neuropathy, loss of toes, fingers, or limbs, and even a higher risk for having a heart attack.

So, you start to watch your carb intake, exercise, and take the right steps to controlling your diabetes.

But, you should know that new research may confirm that you could be missing the ONE key nutrient to maintaining lower blood sugar levels.

EPA and Blood Sugar Control

When you have diabetes, it’s extremely important that you control your blood sugar.

However, for some people, the issue may not lie in their insulin levels, but may rely more on their body’s ability to use the insulin to control – or lower – out of control blood sugar.

Now, for a lot of diabetics – especially those with Type 2 – your body may not be using the insulin that is being produced by your body.

Either you are not making enough to amount to lower sugar levels, or your body is resistant to insulin.

Insulin resistance – the inability for your cells to utilize insulin – may be caused by high inflammation levels caused by a poor diet rich in processed foods and refined sugars.

Changing your diet to reduce processed foods and focus on more whole food sources, may lead to better blood sugar control and reduce risk for other chronic disease associated with diabetes, namely heart disease.

Now, changing your diet is important, but making sure you are including EPA – one of the omega-3 fatty acids – may be even MORE important for maintaining lower blood sugar.

In fact, a new study shows that EPA may provide tremendous benefits to diabetics all over the world.

In the study, the authors found that supplementing the diet of diabetics with TWO grams of purified EPA a day over the course of three months, showed some pretty amazing results.

Those in the EPA group, showed significant decreases in fasting glucose levels, HbA1c levels, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), when compared to the placebo group (corn oil pills).

EPA also resulted in a significant decrease in plasma insulin levels when compared to the placebo group.

The authors concluded: “The results of our study indicate that EPA supplementation could improve insulin sensitivity. It was able to decrease serum insulin, FPG, HbA1c and HOMA-IR. EPA could have beneficial effects on glycaemic indices in patients with T2DM.”

The Blood Sugar Solution?

As a diabetic, you understand how diet and exercise may lower your blood sugar levels and reduce your risk for chronic diseases.

But, you also know that diet and exercise may not be enough to control blood sugar, due to the way your body handles insulin.

Now, a new study shows that including the omega-3 fatty acid, EPA, may reduce not only blood sugar, but excess insulin that may be floating around in your blood.

Well, it won’t “cure” your diabetes, but EPA could go a long way to reducing your risk for heart disease, plus enhancing the other interventions you are currently doing to lower your blood sugar and improve your quality of life.

Almost a quarter of men living alone have contact with their children less than once a month, compared with 15 per cent of older women

Don’t let this happen to your Dad – encourage him him to join a Seniors Activity group or a Sports Club.

By EMILY DUGAN
Monday 13 October 2014
Britain’s men are facing a future blighted by rising levels of loneliness and “social isolation”, new research suggests.
By 2030 the number of older men living alone is expected to rise by two-thirds, according to a study by Independent Age and the International Longevity Centre-UK (ILC-UK).
According to the research, more than 1.2 million men over 50 in England say they suffer from isolation. Men are more likely than women to experience loneliness as they get older because they have significantly less contact with children, family and friends than women, academics discovered.
Almost a quarter of men living alone have contact with their children less than once a month, compared with 15 per cent of older women. Men’s social networks often decline after the death of a partner because women tend to do more to organise and encourage their social life, researchers found.
Janet Morrison, chief executive of Independent Age, said: “It’s alarming to think there are growing numbers of lonely older men who may be facing a future alone and without proper support. This new evidence suggests men and women experience social isolation and loneliness in different ways.
“In general, men rely more heavily on their partner to remain socially connected. When their partner dies, often a man’s social life shrinks.”
The number of older men living alone is rising. By 2030 projected numbers in England and Wales are 1.5 million, an increase of 65 per cent.
The rise is partly because men are living longer and healthier lives, meaning more now outlive their partners. Between 2001 and 2011 the number of males over 85 widowed grew by a third, according to the Office for National Statistics. But there is also a generation entering old age who are more likely to have never married or suffered marital breakdown.
Baroness Sally Greengross, chief executive of ILC-UK, said: “Health services and GPs can play an important role in outreach by identifying patients most at risk and providing support in partnership with the voluntary sector. Statutory bodies should also work with the voluntary sector to develop low-cost innovations to encourage older men to support each other through the creation of clubs and other social programmes.
“Professional bodies should also consider creating post-retirement clubs for their workforce, particularly in male-dominated industries. These could have the potential to keep older men socially connected in post-work life, as well as offering support at certain later-life events, such as widowerhood, that can impact older men’s exposure to isolation and loneliness.”
Experts believe the latest research suggests more needs to be done to tailor help towards men. Laura Ferguson, director of the Campaign to End Loneliness, said: “Charities across the nation struggle to find, and engage with, lonely older men. With social isolation and loneliness posing a serious risk to their health, local activities must be more tailored to suit men’s interests and needs.”
Body image: price of perfection
Body anxiety is so widespread across the UK that 16 million Britons are depressed because of the way they look, figures suggest. The research comes from campaign group Be Real: Body Confidence for Everyone, which launches this week.
The pressure of trying to achieve an unrealistic “ideal body” traps millions of people in the UK in an unhealthy cycle of depression, short-term dieting, cosmetic intervention and eating disorders according to the group.
Polling of over 2,000 people carried out by Be Real suggests that 18 million people do not exercise because of body anxiety. One in four people say body image has held them back from a fulfilling relationship, and one in five have avoided going for a job for the same reason.

It’s Cold & Flu season so here are the 10 Worst Things for Your Immune System in hopes that you would do your best to avoid the bugs and stay healthy this winter. 🙂

Here we go:

1. Processed foods
An overburdened digestive system steals energy from your immune system, leaving the immune system operating on “less cylinders.” To unburden your digestive system, eat as few processed foods as possible. This will restore power to your immune system.

2. Insufficient sleep
Sleep is a time for the body to recharge. A study from the University of Chicago showed that men who slept 4 hours a night after one week had half the number of serum flu-fighting antibodies as did men who slept 7.5 – 8.5 hours.

3. Pessimism
Though some people seem to be born either pessimistic or optimistic, make efforts to think like an optimist. A UCLA study showed that optimistic law students at the beginning of their first semester had more immune system cells by mid-semester, than did students who were pessimistic.

Though it seems obvious that optimists take better care of themselves, the researchers have not ruled out a physiological basis for this disparity.

4. Locking in emotions
Keeping emotions bottled up can suppress the action of the immune system’s killer T cells. On the other hand, unleashing emotions with a nasty fury has been shown to result in fewer killer T cells.

So while it’s bad to sit and stew, it’s also bad to throw temper tantrums. Find a happy medium…
Use your transformation journal!

For example, leave for work 10 minutes earlier so that slow-movement in bottleneck traffic isn’t as unnerving.

6. Use Your Own Pen
(Use sanitising gel after chip& pin)
Avoid touching community-handled objects such as pens at the grocery store, bank, doctor’s office, etc. Communal pens are loaded with germs. Have your own pen on you at all times. The handle of a shopping cart is also very germy; rather than push here, pull it at the other end; fewer hands have been there. Yes, you will get a few funny looks! When it’s colder wear trendy gloves!

7. Insufficient exercise Doh!
You know I had to mention it. ;-b
Rigorous bouts of exercise toughen up the immune system. If you’re a local reader who wants to try us out, contact me for a 7 day FREE trial. If you’re not in the CHELTENHAM area, follow my blogs http://www.jaxallenfitness.comhttp://www.superseniorssolutionsuk.com
And friend me on Facebook – Jax Allen and you can join or follow the groups that interest you.

While we’re talking exercise consider using washable training gloves and yoga socks or your own exercise mat! Just watch the cleaning regime in your gym – handles, seats, mats should be sprayed and wiped down or better still steam cleaned – but I know it doesn’t happen!
Ps I have a cleaning contract for my studio exercise mats. Plus anti bacterial spray for kit. Even a supply of washable gloves !

8. Exposure to secondhand smoke
Forbid people to light up in your car or house. Avoid being near smokers outside. Secondhand smoke is truly a health hazard and can cripple your immune system, killing around 3,000 nonsmokers a year with lung cancer, and resulting in 300,000 childhood cases a year of lower respiratory-tract infections.

9. Misuse of antibiotics
Some people who take antibiotics have diminished levels of cytokines, which are important components of your immune system. When you are prescribed antibiotics, use them immediately and finish the entire prescription. Don’t ask for antibiotics, if you need them ur GP will suggest them and then complete the course. Also, while you should always take a probiotic, you may want to double up when you’re taking antibiotics.

10. Being a gateway to pathogens
Many people get sick simply because they put a finger to their eye, nose, mouth or ear–portals through which microscopic villains enter the body. Resolve not to touch these portals while in public. Pick your nose at home. LOL!

If an eye or your nose itches, then place a tissue or napkin between your finger and skin to scratch the area. Be aware of how often your fingers are at your mouth as you read something in public like a restaurant menu (another very germy communal object).

Although it will be challenging to make these adjustments, keep at it, and over time, they’ll become second nature.

Being overweight or obese ‘linked to 10 common cancers’
By Smitha Mundasad
Health reporter, BBC News

Researchers suggest obesity’s effects on cancers vary depending on the type of tumour

Being overweight and obese puts people at greater risk of developing 10 of the most common cancers, according to research in the Lancet medical journal.

Scientists calculated individuals carrying this extra weight could contribute to more than 12,000 cases of cancer in the UK population every year.

They warn if obesity levels continue to rise there may be an additional 3,700 cancers diagnosed annually.

The study of five million people is the largest to date to confirm the link.

This variation tells us BMI must affect cancer risk through a number of different processes, depending on cancer type”

Dr Krishnan Bhaskaran
Lead researcher

Large numbers
Doctors often warn being overweight can increase the risk of developing cancer, but this study highlights those forms of the disease where the risk is greatest.

Led by scientists from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine researchers gathered data on five million people living in the UK, monitoring changes to their health over a period of seven years.

They found each 13-16kg (2-2.5 stone) of extra weight an average adult gained was linked firmly and linearly to a greater risk of six cancers.

How big this risk was varied depending on tumour type.

Cancer of the uterus had the highest increased risk
gallbladder
kidney
cervix
thyroid
leukaemia had the lowest rise in risk.

People who had a high body mass index (calculated using weight and height) were also more likely to develop cancer of the liver, colon, ovaries, and post-menopausal breast cancer.

But the effects for these cancers were less clear-cut and were influenced by individual factors such as the menopause.

Researchers say though obesity was associated with the development of the most common cancers – which represent 90% of the cancers diagnosed in the UK, some showed no link at all.

And there is some evidence to suggest a higher BMI is associated with a lower chance of getting prostate cancer.

Modest risks
Dr Krishnan Bhaskaran, who led the research, said: “There was a lot of variation in the effect of BMI on different cancers.

“For example, risk of cancer of the uterus increased substantially at higher body mass index, for other cancer we saw a more modest increase in risk or no effect at all.

“This variation tells us BMI must affect cancer risk through a number of different processes, depending on cancer type”

Tom Stansfeld, at Cancer Research UK, said: “Although the relationship between cancer and obesity is complex, it is clear carrying excess weight increases your risk of developing cancer.

“Keeping a healthy weight reduces cancer risk and the best way to do this is through eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising regularly.”

Makes you think?

Time to decide to be active EVERYDAY
Time to plan your healthy food options
Time to RESTRICT sweet and fatty treats

Need help? Find an activity group near you or a healthy eating group online.

The simple egg is a neat nutritional powerhouse that has been called ‘nature’s multivitamin’ because they’re packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and healthy fats, and it’s all stored in one very convenient package. Here are five reasons why you should be eating more eggs.

They help you stay slim
Eggs are very high in protein meaning that they help you stay full for longer. A study in the International Journal of Obesity revealed that overweight adults who ate two eggs for breakfast went on to eat fewer calories throughout the day, compared to those who ate the same amount of calories in bagels. Eating eggs for breakfast will ward off those hunger pangs until it’s time for lunch.

They’re nutritional sunshine
Vitamin D is vital for all of us and has many benefits including cancer prevention, developing healthy bones and even improving your mood. We tend to rely on the sunshine for vitamin D, but the UK weather means that 50% of us sun-starved island dwellers could be deficient. Eggs are one of the only food sources of vitamin D, making them nutritional sunshine.

They make you beautiful
Eggs are packed with keratin, a protein that makes up 70% of your hair, and is vital for the growth and repair of every cell in your body. Keratin helps your hair and nails grow strong and healthy, and helps to keep you looking young and beautiful. You don’t just have to eat your eggs to benefit either – putting egg directly onto your hair can help repair and condition it.

They’re good brain food
As we age, our brains start to shrink which is a phenomenon known as brain atrophy and can be a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease. Eggs are full of vitamin B12 and lecithin, which can fight brain atrophy. The yolk is full of choline, a nutrient that makes acetylcholine, a messenger that communicates between the brains and the nerves, and is also great for your memory.

They’re incredibly versatile
Selenium, folate, pantothenic acid, vitamins B12, A, E and D, iodine, phosphorous, iron, thiamine, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin: this list of good stuff in eggs is almost endless, as is the variety of ways to cook them. Whether they’re boiled, poached, fried, scrambled, steamed, baked, in an omelette, in a quiche or you’re brave enough to eat them raw, eggs are perfect at any time of the day. Our favourite tip is to keep a few hard-boiled eggs in the fridge – perfect post-workout or when you need an emergency snack.

So, I now own 4 sage plants, 3 outside and one on my kitchen windowsill.
I’ve also invested in a glass tea pot – it has a fine sieve built into it- this makes it easy to see the brew in action. It also makes me feel that I’m having a truly clean drink.

How has the Sage tea worked for me? I do think the hot flashes ( I’ve been told they are Power Surges) have eased a lot. I’d gone from nothing to hourly flushes in just a week, quite a shock.

I do think that 3 or 4 cups a day has eased my symptoms a great deal. The surges are less frequent and less powerful!

I will continue with sage and try adding other fresh, soft herbs for variety.. I do like lemon balm, it’s a very fresh smell and taste. I’ve also noticed that my sweet tooth has gone.